Namco and Capcom, creators of a multitude of video game characters over the years, have announced that they have delved into their collective character pools in search of cast members for a new cross-company simulation RPG. The game, titled Namco X Capcom (pronounced "Namco Cross Capcom"), will not only feature RPG characters, but will star a cast of characters spanning a vast array of game genres. While it's not confirmed which of the following will be playable, characters that have been confirmed for appearances include:

Namco

Bravoman (Bravoman)

Jin Kazuma (Tekken)

Klonoa (Klonoa)

KOS-MOS (Xenosaga)

Lutie (Tales of Destiny)

Mitsurugi (Soul Calibur)

MOMO (Xenosaga)

Rutee Katrea (Tales of Destiny)

Shion (Xenosaga)

Stan (Tales of Destiny)

Valkyrie (Valkyrie No Densetsu)

Wonder-Momo (Wonder-Momo)

Capcom

Arthur (Ghouls N' Ghosts)

Bruce McGarvin (Resident Evil: Dead Aim)

Cammy (Street Fighter)

Chun-li (Street Fighter)

Death (Ghouls N' Ghosts)

Dimitri (Darkstalkers)

Juli and Juni (Street Fighter)

M. Bison (Street Fighter)

Morrigan (Darkstalkers)

Phobos (Darkstalkers)

Regina (Dino Crisis)

Ryu (Street Fighter)

Strider Hiryu (Strider)

Vega (Street Fighter)

The story takes place in the year 20XX, where "ripples" in time-space have popped up around the globe. To counteract this, a division named "Shinra" (written in different kanji than the Shinra of Final Fantasy VII fame, mind you) have been charged with dealing with these events. Two operatives of Shinra, Reiji and Shaomu, are sent to a special mission in Shibuya, Tokyo, where a particularly large ripple has appeared. When the pair arrive at their destination, they find themselves confronting a wave of Gnosis, with Shion, KOS-MOS, and MOMO hot on their trail. Reiji and Shaomu step in to lend a hand, and find themselves pulled into the ripple, which acts as a gateway to several different worlds. Working together with many characters from Capcom and Namco games, Reiji and Shaomu quest to determine the source of the ripples and put a stop to them.

Throughout the game, Reiji and Shaomu will be traveling to several different 3D game worlds. Even worlds that were not 3D in their original game will get the full 3D treatment. Players will duke it out with enemies in a simulation RPG-styled format, with either a single character, or two characters working as a single pair, moving across a 3D board of tiles. When a player character comes into contact with an enemy, the screen shifts to something resembling a fighter-game-style screen. Once switched to the this screen, players can block and attack by using the X and O buttons. During encounters, a "special attack" gauge at the bottom of the screen fills as the battle rolls on. Once it reaches 100%, players can unleash each character's familiar ultimate attack. When the battle is over, each character receives experience and items. Details on pair battles are scarce at the moment, but it has been divulged that characters from the same game can work together to perform simultaneous attacks.

Reiji's weapon of choice, called Gogyo, was given to him by his deceased father. Gogyo is a set of four weapons; a long-sword, a short-sword, a shotgun, and a pistol. Shaomu is skilled with swords, guns, sorcery, mystic wands and hand-to-hand combat.

Monolith Soft of Xenosaga fame will head the production of the game, while anime giant Production I.G. will be responsible for the game's animated sequences. Character design will be handled by Soul Calibur's Takuji Kawano. Namco will be handling the publishing aspect.

Reportedly, the game is 70% complete and will hit Japanese retailers in May. A North American localization has not been announced. To get an eyeful of the game for yourself, check out RPGamer's propaganda gallery